Chapter 177: Light the Fire

The last light that had been shining upon the expeditionary force vanished.

Even Liphyue’s Divine Protection had shattered.

Darkness so thick that one could not see an inch ahead followed.

Claire summoned her flames to illuminate her surroundings, but the flickering fire was instantly devoured by the Abyssal Depths.

She could see nothing.

Or perhaps, she was looking at something.

She was looking at the Abyss itself.

“Aaaaagh!”

“Oh, Lady Liphyue!”

“For the glory of Verdan!”

“Do you think I’ll submit to something like this!”

Various voices were swallowed by the Abyss, gradually growing distant.

There was nothing to see and nothing to hear.

Now, she had to fight her own imagination.

Interest.

A Strange Entity was grinning with red eyes and a scarlet mouth.

‘When would it suddenly lunge through the Abyss?’

Considering its movements were as swift as a high-ranking knight, it wouldn’t be strange if it appeared at any moment.

No, she didn’t even know if she could react in this situation.

If there was any silver lining, it was that she had experienced this Abyss briefly before.

Back on the Floor of Breakthrough with Hio, she had been exposed to the Abyss once when it tore through space.

Of course, experiencing it once didn’t grant immunity.

No matter how much one braced their mind, the Abyss was something that eroded the soul before one even realized it.

It was the same for Claire now.

Though she tried to stay alert, the Abyss was already shaking her mind.

The fact that she could no longer feel any sound or presence was proof of that.

All she could do was fight herself.

That was the nature of darkness.

The fear that a Strange Entity might suddenly leap out from the shadows.

‘Why were the others so quiet?’

‘Perhaps they are all dead, and I am the only one left.’

It was a battle where she had to repel the negative thoughts that surfaced incessantly.

In other words, it was a battle that could never be won.

Negative thoughts continued to rise.

The environment demanded it, and the Abyss embedded in her mind encouraged it.

It was useless to resolve to shake off those thoughts.

It was a human trait that the more one tried not to think about something, the more vividly it came to mind.

Claire was slowly sinking.

Just as many others had before her.

Slowly sinking into the Abyssal Depths…

Stab!

“Urgh…!”

As she drove a dagger into her thigh, her mind cleared slightly.

There was only one reason why she was trying so desperately to stay conscious.

She had remembered Hio, who should be right behind her.

She couldn’t let this happen.

She couldn’t protect him like this.

Had she not always been the one receiving help and protection?

For once, she had to succeed.

With that resolve, she tried to kindle her flames again, but it was still no use.

She had heard it before.

Purifying a defiled area was dozens of times harder than protecting a clean one.

This area was already defiled.

Therefore, the thick Abyss that had spread after shattering the Divine Protection was irreversible.

Then, what should she do?

The answer was simple.

‘…No, was it really simple?’

‘How could someone like her achieve something that even high-ranking knights, commanders, and the Holy Maiden could not block?’

“…Wake up.”

Stab! This time, she plunged the dagger into her other thigh, and her mind cleared a bit more.

She was sinking without even knowing when her consciousness had blurred.

“I have to protect him.”

Hio was right behind her.

Although she could see and feel nothing, he was surely there.

Then all she had to do was protect him.

With her life.

With all her strength.

“…Come out.”

She activated her skill.

The flames had always submissively followed her will.

But this time, they wouldn’t listen.

“Please, come out…”

A flicker appeared as if it would ignite, but it vanished instantly.

It was as if the fire were afraid of the deep-seated Abyss.

Or perhaps it had been devoured, disappearing without leaving even a handful of light behind.

But she couldn’t stop.

She had to raise her flames somehow.

This was Claire’s foundation and her identity.

Yet, no matter how many times she tried, the result was the same.

Negative emotions and thoughts naturally began to well up.

Stab!

This time, she drove the dagger into her left hand.

“Whew…”

‘Let’s think slowly.

‘What should I do?’

It’s pointless to just use skills blindly.

It only consumes Magic Power.

I have to think, think.’

— There is a technique called ‘Intent.’

The voice echoing in her mind was a story Melissa had told her once.

It was a fairy-tale-like technique that only the strongest on the Continent could use.

She had said that if Claire could master it, her flames would never fade.

Of course, Claire didn’t know how to learn or use it.

Even Melissa didn’t know.

— Build your will.

Imagine the path you want to take.

Imagine the person you want to become.

That was the only advice she had given.

The path she wanted to take.

The person she wanted to become.

The answer was already clear.

She slowly closed her eyes.

Or perhaps they were already open.

What came to mind was fire.

But it wasn’t Claire’s own flame.

It was the Blue Flame she had seen today.

The majestic fire that had covered the sky, replacing it.

A sky of blue fire.

Fwoosh!

A blue flame flickered in her mind.

‘Was it thanks to that?’

She felt as if her vision had brightened significantly.

“Haaa…”

Calming her heart again, she thought of another flame this time.

It wasn’t an ordinary flame.

It was the lightning she had seen once.

A rain of lightning falling infinitely from the sky.

A wave of thunder.

A lord of lightning that would force any ordinary person to press their head to the ground in terror.

The white fire that burned at its end.

Boom!

Lightning struck inside her head.

Her vision brightened further, and her thoughts cleared.

The darkness that had been clinging to her retreated in surprise at the blue flame and the white lightning.

Even though it was only happening inside her mind.

“Hah!”

When she slowly opened her red eyes, the dark clouds had vanished.

Her focus was sharp, and the fire burning in her mind was incredibly bright.

Although she still couldn’t see an inch ahead, she no longer felt as if she were alone in the world.

The reason was simple.

“Aaaah!”

“Don’t come… don’t come near me…!”

“We’re all going to die anyway… just kill me…”

“Wake up! Don’t let yourselves be devoured by something like that!”

Her blocked ears had opened, and all sorts of sounds began to pour in.

They weren’t coming from far away, either.

Until just a moment ago, she thought they had been separated into different spaces or that most had died, but in reality, their positions hadn’t changed much since the Abyss first spread.

She had cleared the Abyss from her mind.

Now, she had to raise a real flame.

Ultimately, she had to be able to light a fire in this thick darkness to move forward.

She could protect Hio, who had lost consciousness while protecting everyone, and become a ray of light for those who had lost their minds.

She activated her skill.

With all her might, she tried to manifest the skill by channeling the blue sky fire and the white lightning fire from her mind.

However.

Failure.

The flames did not even react to her call.

—” Aaaaagh!”

— “S-save me!”

— “No…”

I don’t want to die…

No…

In the pitch-black darkness.

A scream suddenly reached his ears.

His mind was blank.

It was just like that time.

That day when he had stared blankly at his own bleeding leg.

It was a memory of a distant past he thought he had forgotten.

He had crawled around, dragging one useless leg, but all he could feel was the sticky blood clinging to him.

The loud screams gradually faded as time passed.

‘Are they dead? They must be.’

He didn’t have the strength or the ability to save them.

All he could do was stare blankly at his blood-stained leg and cover his ears against the fading screams.

‘Would it have been different if I had power? Could I have saved them if my abilities were better?’

‘Would he have had comrades and friends to welcome him back with a smile when he returned home?’

Perhaps he, too, would have lived while looking forward to logging out.

Leaving his rotting leg alone was an expression of despair, regret, and a small act of will saying he had no more reason to live.

But things were different now.

He had found precious people again, he had the power to protect them, and the regrets of the past were deeply embedded in his mind.

‘Then what was he doing?’

‘Why wasn’t he standing up on his two healthy legs?’

“Cough!”

A stifled breath burst out of him.

A fine spray of blood flew with it, though it wasn’t visible.

It was because the Abyssal Depths filled everything.

‘How much time had passed?’

The last scene in his memory was Vitalianus stopping him…

As expected, had everyone fallen to the Abyss the moment the skill Celestial collapsed?

As he pushed himself up with those thoughts, he heard someone’s voice nearby.

“…Come out.”

Stab!

The sound of something sharp piercing through.

The scent of blood spread.

“I said, come out.”

Another stab, followed by the sound of liquid dripping.

[Trait — ‘Ghost Eyes’ has been activated]

When he activated his Ghost Eyes, he saw a familiar soul.

It was a soul he could see more clearly now that his Spiritual Power stat had increased significantly.

Claire’s soul was burning intensely, as if it were fire itself.

“Please… come out!”

Claire was abusing herself, stabbing her own body with a dagger.

In a desperate voice.

She was falling into despair, blaming herself for not being able to move as she wished.

Hio quickly approached and grabbed her wrist as she was about to strike again.

Startled, Claire turned her head, her eyes wide with surprise.

At least, that’s how they must have looked.

Even though she was right in front of him, her expression was hidden by the Abyss.

“Claire.”

‘What was she blaming herself for, and why did she hate herself so much?’

He didn’t know the details, but he knew it wasn’t her fault.

“It’s okay.”

Through the presence he felt and the souls visible through his Ghost Eyes, there were still many people.

Fortunately, it seemed that not much time had passed since he lost consciousness.

Then it was fine.

It wasn’t too late yet.

“It’s just because it’s too dark.”

In the deepest darkness, there is something that shines even brighter.

Its name is hope.

“Get ready.”

[Skill — ‘Heart’ has been activated]

A golden Holy Power flashed in Hio’s eyes.

Small particles of light gathered around him.

They formed a sphere, which then exploded to create a golden wave.

“Because I’m going to light the fire.”

Sacred brilliance spread, piercing through the Abyss.

The gazes of every being on the floor turned toward one person: Hio Pavlenko.

The knights who were despairing in the Abyss, and those who were struggling around the Holy Maiden, all turned their eyes toward the spreading holy light.

Even Vitalianus, who had been moving restlessly through the Abyss, and the commanders of each Knight Order who were desperately swinging their swords.

Everyone turned their heads to look at the brilliant light that had suddenly appeared.

This was the only hope shining in the darkness.

Of course.

[Skill — ‘Light the Fire’ has been activated]

The hundreds of Strange Entities smiling with red eyes.

All their gazes also focused on one man: Hio Pavlenko.

[Hope Divine Magic — Heart]

[Divine Magic containing the trait of ‘Hope’]

[Creates a high-level Mental Barrier for all allies within range]

[The caster is designated as ‘Hope’]

[‘Hope’ that as long as one does not fall, the allies’ high-level Mental Barrier will be maintained]

[However, if ‘Hope’ appears endangered or falls, the barrier will crumble, and allies will suffer from extreme anxiety]

[Hope Divine Magic — Light the Fire]

[Divine Magic containing the trait of ‘Hope’]

[Grants the basic stats ‘Stamina,’ ‘Agility,’ ‘Strength,’ and ‘Magic Power,’ as well as the rare stat ‘Holy Power,’ to the target designated as ‘Hope’]

[The target designated as ‘Hope’ gains the trait ‘Pain Immunity’ for a set duration]

[The duration of ‘Pain Immunity’ and the magnitude of the stat increase are proportional to the number of allies aware of ‘Hope’ and the strength of their reliance]